Flash flooding kills 19, injures more than 100 in southwest Iran

Flash flooding in Iran has killed at least 19 people and injured 119 in the city of Shiraz in Fars province, according to Iran's semi-official Tasnim News Agency.

Fars Gov. Enayatollah Rahimi said a short but intense rainfall caused sudden flash flooding that inundated a main highway between Shiraz and Esfahan, trapping many travelers leaving the city. City officials did not have enough time to warn people in the area ahead of the deadly weather conditions.

The heavy storm system over the region delivered a month's worth of rainfall in only a few hours, according to CNN meteorologist Taylor Ward. Coupled with the terrain in the area, this may have caused a funneling effect which is not uncommon to see in some extreme flash flooding episodes.